Intangible Cultural Heritage in Austria

Story telling

Story telling is the art of entertaining people in a playful and intellectual way by recounting fairy tales.
For centuries, fairy tales, sagas and stories have been handed down orally. In the past, people recounted stories while working; today legends and tales are told through narrating societies, cultural initiatives, schools and kindergartens. These stories reflect the graphic power of local events, conditions and characteristics. Furthermore, their common theme centers on the art of informing people about fundamental experiences in a playful and intellectual way. Fairy tales and sagas transmit the essence of the individuals - as well as the communitys collective - cultural identity far better than any type of formal instruction.